A community-wide vote will begin on Thursday, May 29th. The vote will allow Lafayette parents/guardians to approve the HSA budget for the 2025-2026 school year and select the HSA-elected board representatives and the LSAT parent representatives. Polls close on Wednesday, June 4th, at 7pm. Results will be posted in the Thursday Bulletin on June 5th.
The HSA presents the following budget for the 2025-2026 school year, available at this link. The budgeting process considered information gathered from the Lafayette community and the draft budget was presented to the public at the last HSA general meeting in April where community members were welcomed to ask questions and make comments. The budget will be posted here for your review until June 4th.
We offer our gratitude to the generous volunteers who have stepped up to give their time and talents.
Please read the below statements about each of our HSA and LSAT candidates:
HSA ELECTION CANDIDATES:
Co-President: (2 positions available, 1 year term)
- Biography of Jennie Hendrickson: Jennie Hendrickson is a proud mom to two Lafayette ES students (Jackson, 3rd, and Teddy, PK4). For the past three years, she has co-coordinated the school’s 100+ room parents, liaising between the HSA and parent community to promote engagement and support classrooms. Jennie has spent her career advising purpose-driven brands on strategic communications.
Co-President: (2 positions available, 2 year term)
- Biography of Maggie Walser: Maggie Walser is mom to two Lafayette students (Jonathan, 3rd, and Benjamin, 1st). She currently volunteers for the HSA as one of the two room parent coordinators in addition to serving in other volunteer roles in the school. Professionally, Maggie works in science policy and has extensive project management experience as well as experience recruiting and engaging volunteers to build inclusive teams.
Vice President 1: (1 position available)
- Biography of Chris Dietz: I’m a Lafayette Dad of Olivia, 2nd grade, and future student Liam, and have been a room parent all three years as well as supporting the HSA in communications and website work. I also serve as the VP for Management on the Board of a local ice hockey officials association with 600+ members and $2.5M in revenue. I look forward to working with the remaining HSA Board members to manage our budget and support our school.
Secretary: (1 position available)
- Biography of Diana Wielocha: My name is Diana Wielocha, and I am a mom to a first grader at Lafayette and two future Lafayette students. My family and I have lived in the neighborhood for nine years and feel fortunate to be part of such an incredible community. In my professional capacity, I work as a compliance lawyer for Verizon. Over the past two years, I have had the opportunity to serve as a room parent, Auction Event Chair, and Hospitality Co-Chair. I would be honored to serve the Lafayette community as the HSA Secretary and to continue to work towards building a culture of inclusivity at our school.
Co-Treasurer: (1 position available)
- Biography of Luci Shanahan: I am Luci Shanahan, mom to a 1st grader and preschooler. I run merchandising and business development operations for a local non-profit. I have served as Co-President of the HSA over the last year and look forward to learning new ways to enhance our community through the Co-Treasurer role.
LSAT ELECTION CANDIDATES (5 positions available)
- Biography of Chris Dietz: I’m a Lafayette Dad of Olivia, 2nd grade, and future student Liam, and have been a room parent all three years as well as supporting the HSA in communications and website work. I also serve as the VP for Management on the Board of a local ice hockey officials association with 600+ members and $2.5M in revenue. I am grateful for the wonderful Lafayette community and believe that I can support the LSAT in its important mission to provide guidance to the principal and advocate on behalf of the parents, students, and teachers that make our school so awesome.
- Biography of Jennifer McAlister: Biography of Jennifer McAlister: I am the parent of two Lafayette ES students in 2nd and 5th grade. While this is our first year at Lafayette ES, our children attended Van Ness ES previously so we are familiar with DCPS’s amazing schools, teachers, and staff. Currently I am in graduate school and after completing my degree I hope to work in community/public health nutrition with elementary aged kids teaching them about food, nutrition, and cooking. My past work experience includes project management on large construction projects in the DC area which ranged in size from $20M to $800M for both public and private clients. As a senior project manager I was responsible for budget and contract administration, while also effectively acting as a liaison between the client, architect, and subcontractors. As a military spouse I have had the opportunity to act as advisor to family readiness groups, helping families prepare for deployment, homecoming, and adjusting to the challenges of military life. Over the last few years, I have volunteered with several organizations providing food and nutrition education to children. While living overseas I volunteered with the American Red Cross in their efforts to support military service members and their families. I believe my prior experiences with budget management and supporting families make me a good candidate for the LSAT.
- Biography of Sarah Cohen: Hello Lafayette Community! My name is Sarah Cohen and I am mother to Ethan in Grade 3 and Ryan in Grade 2. We joined the Lafayette Community 3 years ago and have been thrilled with our experience so far. We love the school and the community and feel as though we won the lottery (literally and figuratively) since we currently live on the other side of Rock Creek Park, in Takoma, DC. My background is as an educator and mental health professional. I spent the last two decades working with children, initially as an elementary school classroom teacher and currently as a school counselor. I currently serve families in a part time capacity as a School Counselor to students in Elementary Schools and Middle Schools in Montgomery County, MD. I’ve been involved with Peace of Mind through Cheryl Dodwel and Linda Ryden and have worked closely with this organization while also piloting the Peace of Mind curriculum in many classrooms across my district. Since our children began attending Lafayette three years ago, I’ve consistently volunteered to chaperone field trips, engage in school-wide initiatives, and help with various class projects. This past year I gave up my position as the Lost and Found coordinator to be an active member on the current 2024-2025 LSAT. It’s been such a rewarding position this school year and I feel honored to have been part of this dedicated team of administrators, classroom teachers, mental health providers, and central office DCPS staff to support the mission and vision of Lafayette. It was always my goal to represent the families well and always keeping our community core values in mind while participating actively in each meeting held. I am hoping to earn your vote and continue to serve in this role for the 2025-2026 school year once again. Joining the LSAT has allowed me to leverage my skills, expertise, and background in order to help improve the school in areas like logistics, challenging budget seasons, and improving school climate and operations. I have a deep understanding of the inner workings of schools, and I believe that when administrators, leaders, and staff are happy and supported, students are able to not just survive but thrive. I believe that one of Lafayette’s greatest strengths is the deep care and commitment that the staff have not just to their in-boundary families- but to all families who have chosen to entrust Lafayette with their children. Families chose this neighborhood and this community from all across the city, and I’ve enjoyed meeting out of bound families this year who have reached out to me to share their experiences. Some families chose the school for their excellent special education programs and services; some were intrigued by the exceptionally unique peace program and many others for the reputation for academic rigor and excellence. As someone who does not live within the Chevy Chase DC community, I can bring a unique perspective to this group to ensure everyone’s voices are being heard equitably and that various perspectives are being represented on the LSAT. I hope you will consider voting for me, Sarah Cohen, in just a few short weeks when the ballot is shared with each of you. Thanks for your time and commitment to our wonderful school.
- Biography of Farrah Buff: Hello Lafayette Community! It’s been a privilege to represent parents on the LSAT this year, and I hope to do so again next year. We have boys in kindergarten and second grade. I’ve spent my professional life in the federal government working on child nutrition and early childhood education policy and budget. Most recently, I led stakeholder engagement and legislative affairs for the federal agency responsible for school meals programs, and I hope to put my skills to use. As an LSAT member, I’ll continue working to ensure that the school community has a voice in strategic planning and priorities and to build a stronger connection with the HSA. Specifically, I’d like to work with the LSAT to create more regular opportunities for parents, teachers, and staff to share feedback and weigh in on important decisions in a constructive way. Like so many, our family was drawn to the neighborhood by the community and schools, and I am eager to do my part to support both. Thank you in advance for your consideration!
- Biography of Morgann Reeves: Hi Lafayette Community! My name is Morgann Reeves and I’m the proud mom of a current kindergartner and an incoming pre-kindergartner. I have been a strategic planner for over a decade where I help organizations, nonprofits and government clients clarify their vision, tackle complex challenges, and chart meaningful paths forward. I bring a forward-thinking mindset to everything I do—something I believe is especially important now. During my first year at Lafayette I served on the Bear Fund, volunteered in various class functions and supported several events. If elected, I hope to bring my professional expertise and passion for Lafayette to support our wonderful community.
